New York state has different strategies when it comes to combatting the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species from Asia first found in Pennsylvania in 2014.
For downstate residents, particularly in the New York City Area, people are urged to kill the pest if they see one.
In the upstate area, they should take a picture and report the sighting to the state, according to Christopher Logue with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
“We do want to prioritize, being able to follow up on reports from upstate and in particular areas around our grape growing regions, which are very important for us to actively protect at this time.”
Logue says the biggest concern is the pest’s potential economic impact on New York’s $300 million wine and grape industry.
“The total economic impact of all invasive species in the US, exceeds $70 billion per year.”
The Spotted Lanternfly has been reported in Tompkins and Broome counties in the Finger Lakes region.
People can report sightings at agriculture.ny.gov.